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Homes: Wetaskiwin

Wetaskiwin is a town of 12,000 (2006) located 70 kilometres (43 mi) south of of Edmonton. It named for the Cree word for "Peace Hills", for the 1850 peace accord between the Cree and the Blackfoot. Later, the peace became more difficult to maintain, following the construction of the trans-continental railroad bringing a flood of immigrants. While the community is ethnically diverse, about 12% of the population are members of the First Nations.

Wetaskiwin lies above what used to be the coast of the large sea that covered much of Alberta millions of years ago, which accounts for the rich oil & gas finds in the area. The northwest end of Wetaskiwin has hills with sandy soil (which started as ancient sand dunes), while the southeast end of the city is very flat with more silty soil. To the west of town is a small regional airport, primarily for private planes.

Schools

Wetaskiwin Regional Public Schools has 9 elementary, 1 middle and 1 high school in the community. http://www.wrps.ab.ca/our-schools

Shopping

Wetaskiwin has the distinction of having the highest level of car sales per capita in Canada, thanks co-operative advertising by the dealers on the "Auto Mile", who's slogan "Cars Cost Less in Wetaskiwin" was quite successful.

Recreation

Wetaskiwin is home to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, a large museum dedicated to automobiles, Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, and the Wetaskiwin and District Heritage Museum..

Homes

The town is mostly single family homes, with acreages and farms in the surrounding countryside.

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